The final statistics are scheduled to be released Jan. 10, but experts say the data suggests 2024 was the hottest year on record.

Scientists say this likely puts Earth at greater risk of more extreme heat waves, hurricanes and significant loss of biodiversity

Government scientists have reported that 2024 was the hottest year on record, making it the second year in a row that global temperatures have shattered records. The record breaking climate is said to be part of a warming trend scientists have warned about due to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Earth recorded its hottest year on record in 2024, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold, weather monitoring agencies announced Friday.

The year 2024 was the hottest on record, a spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organisation said ahead of the release later on Friday of a comprehensive report incorporating the findings of several regional climate monitoring institutes.

Earth experienced its hottest year on record, surpassing previous highs with an average temperature 1.28 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century norm. This historical peak is a stark reminder of the urgent need to understand and mitigate our impact on the planet,

The official numbers are in: 2024 is the hottest year on record. Climate change is the main culprit. But there might be something else going on, too.